Childhood Favorites, Better Than You Remember Them - SugarBot

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jackie Huebbe, Owner of SugarBot Sweet Shop & Creamery, located in St. Charles, MO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

SugarBot is a two-fold business. SugarBot Sweet Shop is a full-service, scratch-made bakery that offers custom cakes, cookies, and more, as well as grab-and-go treats for walk-ins on Fridays & Saturdays. SugarBot Creamery is an old-fashioned soda fountain and ice cream parlor with a working antique soda fountain. We make all of our ice creams from scratch in-house, as well as our World Famous Gooey Butter Cakes and much more! We're big fans of making every day special, and we specialize in Childhood Favorites, Better Than You Remember Them.

Tell us about yourself

I left the corporate world and was unhappy with my impact. I began working in small bakeries and cafes in the STL area, but I was really unhappy with the quality that was being considered acceptable. There were lots of shortcuts being taken and sub-par products being used. Because of that, I decided to officially set out and do my own thing in 2012.

By 2015, I had a strong base to grow from and expanded into St. Charles, MO, where SugarBot bought its very own home base, where the bakery still is today. In 2018, we bought Little O's Old Time Soda Fountain and cleaned up the space that was clean and stylish to match the true soda fountain feel. This was also when we began making ice cream from scratch. Finally, in 2021, we purchased a larger building to move the soda fountain too and rebrand as SugarBot Creamery. We moved in after extensive renovations and opened earlier this year, in May 2022.
As far as motivation goes, that can be a tricky one. My running joke is that I'm "food motivated." I love making people happy with the food and making celebrations special. I also love giving folks the chance to make changes in their lives that only things like meaningful employment can give.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment to date is surviving through COVID. It was (and still is) very hard on us, and I know that it will continue to be that way for a while. At this point, I'm ten years in, and I hope to be in for at least another ten, but I would love more.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Balance and time management. There are so many things that need to be done every day and so much that needs to be managed and kept track of. It can be overwhelming, to say the very least. I have a lot of systems in place to help keep me together, and 99.9% of the time, they work perfectly. I'm always looking for better ways to organize all aspects of my life.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Don't wait for the perfect time. (I wish I'd started sooner!)
  2. Hire a team early. (The longer you wait, the harder it gets!)
  3. Take however much you think it will cost and however long you think it will take, and then double it. (There's ALWAYS something more to be done.)

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sugarbotsweetshop.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sugarbotsweetshop
https://www.facebook.com/SugarBotCreamery

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sugarbotsweetshop/
https://www.instagram.com/sugarbotcreamery/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiehuebbe/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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